Adjustable wristbands



Jan. 2, 1968 v U. SARTARELL; v 3,361.311

` ADJUSTABLE WRISTBANDS l Filed March 15, Y196e 2 sheets-sheet 1 /N VENTO/1'" UMBER T0 SARTARELL/ ATTORNEY E313.v 5 n o Jan. 2, 1968 SATARELLI 3,361,311

l Y ADJUSTABLE WRISTBANDS Filed March l5, 1966 l I Y 2 Shees-Shefet 2 /N VENTO/Y UMZ/RTO SAHTARELL/ A T rok/v5 y United States Patent 3,361,311 ADJUSTABLE WRISTBANDS Umberto Sartarelii, 2515 Center Road, Novato, Caiif. 94947 Fiied Mar. 15, 1966, Ser. No. 534,501 4 Claims. (Cl. 224-4) This invention relates to adjustable resilient arcuate Wristbands and may best be exemplified by adjustable wristbands for watches, bracelets, and the like, to make them adjustable to wrists of varying circumference or diameter. In describing the invention with relation to resilient adjustable wristbands it is also the intention to include use of the invention for other appropriate purposes, such as adjustable dog collars.

In a broad sense, adjustable wristbands of a link type for similar purposes have been previously known. They have the disadvantage of `being mechanically intricate. Wristbands of a single resilient integral strip are also known but they are not adjustable.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a Wristband which is rugged, strong and adjustable to fit wrists of varying circumference. Another object is to provide an adjustable resilient Wristband which has its resilience inherent in its structure and eliminates a plurality 0f springs and moving parts. A further object is to provide an adjustable Wristband simple in structure and readiiy adjustable Without tools or substantial mechanical operations.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, preferred forms in which the invention may be exemplified are described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one form of Wristband of the invention, and mounted with respect to a watch.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the invention, similar to FIG. l, and mounted with respect to a bracelet.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional View on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view on line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. S is a fragmentary enlarged elevational view of bands or strips, and holding means shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged exploded or disconnected view of parts shown in FIG. 5.

FIG, 7 is a greatly enlarged sectional view on line 7-7 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a modified form of the invention, showing the elliptical arcuate form of constituent strip members at expanded position.

FlG. 9 is a fragmentary enlarged elevational planar view of a part of the strip segments shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. l0 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view on line 10-10 of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View on line 11-11 of FIG. 9.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary lateral sectional view on line 12-12 of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a diagrammatic planar edge view showing manner of mounting the Wristband on a Wrist, the latter being shown in section.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of another modified form of the invention at expanded position of the strip members.

FIG. 15 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal view of overlapped strip portions of FIG. 14, being partly in section.

FIG. 16 is a diagrammatic edge view of the form of invention illustrated in FIG. 14 and showing its elliptically arcuate shape when mounted to a watch.

3,361,311 Patented Jan. 2, 1968 ICC Referring to the drawings, and firstly referring to the exemplification shown in FIGS. 1 to 7, the reference character 111 indicates generally one form of a Wristband of the invention comprising a pair of elliptically arcuate elongated stifily flexible resilient spring strips 11 and 12, which have planar lateral transverse width and are flexibly resilient in the plane of such Width whereby they may be formed to maintain a resilient arcuate elliptical shape. Said strips are preferably of metal or plastic and sufiiciently stiff and solid to differentiate from woven or` interlaced linked strips.

The arcuate strips 11, 12 preferably have substantially the same arcuate length and lateral Width, and have relatively slidable overlap at one end portion of each of said strips, the strip 11 having the inner strip overlap portion 13 and the strip 12 having the outer strip overlap portion 14. As best shown in FIG. 14 the elliptical arc of each of the resilient strips 11, 12, when free and expanded, may be substantially similar to one-fourth of the perimeter-line of an ellipse from an end of a major axis indicated X, to, and preferably somewhat beyond, kan end of a minor axis indicated Y, as those axes are shown in the expanded view of FIG. 14, and assuming a more uniform elliptical arc when the arcuate members 11, 12, are contracted for attachment to a Watch or the like, as in FIG. 16. The overlapped end portions 13, 14, which would be more nearly parallel with the major axis of the elliptical arc, preferably have a lesser degree of arc than the respective, opposite free end portions of the strips.

Means are provided for releasably holding the overlap portions in relatively slidable relation, and to lock or stabilize them against casual unintended sliding at varying selective positions of overlap. At said overlap end portion in FIGS. 1 to 7 the relatively opposite lateral edges of the inner overlapped strip portion 13 are each provided with a plurality of relatively spaced inward indentations 1S which may be exemplified as substantially one-sixteenth inch Wide by one-thirty second inch deep. The outer of said relatively overlying strip portions 14 is provided at both its opposite lateral edges, preferably at its overlapped terminal end, with oppositely disposed laterally inwardly flanged integral guide fingers 16 having transversely inturned end tips 17 overlying and spaced from the inner .face of said strip, and thereby providing a guide groove 18 at the terminal end of each edge of the outer strip into which the overlapped end portion 13 of the inner strip may normally slide. The longitudinal dimension of said guide fingers may be exemplified as one-tenth inch.

Spaced from the terminal end of overlapping portion 14 of the outer strip 12 there is a laterally inturned clip member 19 at each of the opposite edges of said outer strip, the clips 19 being preferably smaller than the guide fianges 1a. The clip members 19 each also has a radially inturned lateral flange 20 and a transversely inturned end tab 22 which overlies and is spaced from the inner face of the overlapped end portion 14 of outer strip member 12. These clip members 19 also provide grooves 21 at each of the opposite edges of said outer overlapping member 14 in which the indented overlap portion 13 of the inner strip and its indentations 15, may be received. The depth of the indentations 15 of strip member 13 is such that the tab tip 22 of the resilient flange clip 2t) will snap over the lower edge of the indentations 15, with the side edges of the clip engaging the corresponding side edges of the indentations, and thus releasably locking the overlapped portions 13, 14 of the strip members against relative sliding movement. The overlapped strip portions are normally relatively slidable by means of grooves 18, and since there are a plurality of spaced indentations 15 at each op- 0 posite edge of member 13, the inwardly anged clips 19 at E the circumference of the encircling Wristband for wrists of various sizes.

Means are provided whereby the opposite respective ends of the resilient arcuate strip members 11, 12, are connectible to an appropriate article which is to be mounted and worn on the wrist of a wearer, such as a watch indicated A as shown in FIG. 1 or a bracelet indicated B as shown in FIG. 2. It will be assumed that such an article will be provided at each of its opposite sides or ends with pivot pins 26, 27, at least one of which such as pin 26, being preferably removable to be fitted through an elongated eyelet 28 at a free terminal end of one of the strip members to provide a substantially permanent pivot, such as at the end of outer strip 12, whereas an opposite side of the article A or B may have a bracket for the second pin 27 for releasable engagement of such pin by the opposite end of the Wristband, for which purpose the free terminal end of the first strip 11 of the Wristband is provided with an integrally permanently open hook 30 retroverted upon itself substantially 180 degrees, the terminal lip 31 of the open hook being retroverted substantially parallel with the adjacent portion of the strip member 11, whereby the lip of hook 3) remains permanently open to slidably and releasably engage the pivot pin 27.

Normally in a Wristband the resilient strip members 11, 12 would be arcuately formed ovally to correspond with a cross section of the Wrist upon which the Wristband is to be employed, that is, the Wristband is ellipsoidal and the members 11 and 12 have substantially greater arcs at opposite end portions 32 than at the central overlapped portion 33. Because the hook 311 is retroverted to a position substantially parallel with the immediately adjacent portion of the Wristband, it is necessary, in order to engage and also dsengage the hook 30 over the pin 27, to resiliently deform the normal and usual shape of the band adjacent said hook by manual manipulation about the Wrist C so that the hook-end-portion of the band is substantially straight, that is substantially parallel with pin 27, as at 34 in FIG. 13.

In operation of the invention as shown in FIGS. l to 7, the diametral size or the Wristband is adjusted by snapping the resilient tips 22 of clips 19, 2t), out of the indentations 15, whereupon the members 11 and 12 may be manually actuated to slide longitudinally relative to each other while maintained in such sliding relation by the flanged fingers 16 at the opposite edges of outer overlapped strip portion 14. When the two band members 11 and 12 have been adjusted to the desired size to comfortably lit the wrist of a wearer, the resilient clips 19, l211 may be snapped into the appropriate closest indentations to releasably x the circumference of oval size of the Wristband.

Since the arcuate members 11, 12 are resilient, when the two opposite free arcuate end portions 32 are formed inwardly to engage the pins 26 and 27, a radially outward resilient pressure or thrust is exerted at the minor axis Y of the overlapped portions 13, 14, as illustrated at FIG. 16. Since the overlapping strip portions are held together in such overlapping relation by the anged fingers 16 and clips 19, the overlying portions are frictionally locked firmly and substantially immovably by such radial outward thrust, though such overlapping portions 13 and 14 are resistantly slidable relatively for longitudinal adjustment when the members 11, 12, are at their outward expanded or non-compressed position and the clips 19, 211, are released from the indentations 15.

The desirability of such relative adjustability of the parts may be because of size of wrist of the wearer or because of the distance between pins 26, 27 on the object which is to be adjustably secured thereby, such as the illustrated Watch A or bracelet plate B.

In the modieation shown in FIGS. 8 to l2, the modiin cation resides in the releasable tmeans by which the overlying portions 13 and 14 of the resilient strips are releasably and slidably secured together.

In these FIGS. 8 to 12, the slidable overlap portions 4; 13, 14, of the strips 11 and 12 are also present, as well as the radial inturned guiding iianges 16 at opposite edges of the terminal end portion of the outer overlapped strip 14, and being thereby spaced from the overlapped terminal end of the inner overlying strip portion 13, which provides relative slidability of the overlapped portions 13, 14 of the strips 11, 12, in the groove 18 of anges 16 when the strips are at expanded position as shown in FIG. 8.

The means in FIGS. 8 to 12 for releasably locking the overlapping portions 13, 14 of the strips against such relative casual slidability comprises a plurality of eyelets 40 relatively spaced in longitudinal alignment along the centerline adjacent the end of the inner relatively slidable overlapping strip portion 13 of the inner strip 11. These eyelets 49 provide releasable locking slots which have an opening 41, preferably circular, and a communicating narrow elongated lock-slot opening 42. The opposed face of the other relatively overlapping portion 14 of strip 12 is provided at its inner or opposed face with an upstanding xed lock-pin 43, which has a head 44 of a diameter which Will freely pass through the eyelet opening 41, but is of greater diameter than the lock-slot 42. The shank 45 which integrally supports the head 44 of the lock-pin is of lesser diameter than the width of the lock-slot 42 and is slidable therein.

In operation, therefore, the head 44 of the pin may be passed through any one of the spaced openings 41, whereupon the shank 45 may be releasably engaged by sliding selectively in any of the lock-slots in a well known manner, whereby the arcuate length or circumference of the Wristband may be adjusted, the adjustable connection being very firmly secured because of the resilience of the strips and the binding of the cooperating lock-pin 43 and lock-slots 4@ in the overlapping relatively adjustable end portions, due to the radial outward thrust at the overlapped arcuate bend of the resilient superlicially contacting strip portions, in the same manner as previously dened relative to the exemplification of FIGS. 1 to 7.

In the modification of FIGS. 14 to 16, the strips 11 and 12 and the pin-engagement means 28, 3) at the opposite ends thereof, as well as the overlapping relatively slidable portions 13 and 14 of the strips 11 and 12, are also present.

In this modification of structure exemplified in FIGS. 14 to 16, the means for holding the overlapping strip portions 13, 14 in slidable relation, comprises anged guide fingers 16a and 16b at opposite edges of each of the respective terminal ends of the overlapped slidable portions 13 and 14, said guide-fingers being laterally turned relatively oppositely and providing grooves 18a and 181: at the overlaped terminal ends of the strips, whereby said strips may slide relatively in superficial contact, but are prevented from sliding suiciently to become detached from each other, since it will be noted that such respective flanged guide ngers 16a, 1Gb at the ends of the separate overlapped parts 13, 14 contact each other before the terminal free ends of those overlapped strip members become separated by sliding.

In this modification of FIGS. 14 to 16, means are provided for releasably resisting free slidability of the overlapped members 13, 14, such means comprising an aligned series of indented punch marks 50, beginning at a point adjacently spaced from the terminal overlapped end of the inner contacting face of outer member 14, said indented punch marks being relatively spaced inwardly longitudinally of said outer overlapping portion 14, preferably centrally of the width thereof. To cooperate by resistantly slidable interengagement with this plurality of indented punch marks, a single indented punch mark 51 is provided in the opposed radially outer superficially contacting face of the overlapping portion 13 of the inner strip, such punch mark 51 providing a projecting pin point adjacent to the overlapped end portion of the opposed slidable face of the inner overlapping strip member 13. While it is to be noted that the punch mark 51 provides a projecting point at the opposed face of the inner strip 13, the indented punch marks 50 in the opposed face of strip portion 14, may be mere surface indentations not visible at the opposite face of the strip.

As in the other illustrated forms of the invention, the overlapping strip members 13 and 14, with the cooperating releasably interengaging indents 50, 51 in the opposed faces of the overlapped portions 13, 14, slide resistantly but relatively easily when either of the outward free terminal ends 28, 30 are free, but when the said free ends are drawn in or relatively contracted and connected to pins as at 26, 27, there is a resiliently induced radially outward thrust at the overlapped portion 33 (diagrammatically indicated as minor axis Y) which substantially frictionally interlocks the opposed faces and the indents 50 and 51, whereby a connection is formed by the overlying strip portions which is extremely resistant to relative sliding movement, and in ordinary Wearing of the band is substantially immovable. 1t may also be noted that when the ends 28, 36 or either one thereof, are free so that the said ends 28, 311 may expand relatively, the overlapped portions, being entirely relieved of the radial outward thrust of the resilient friction Contact, permit a slightly resistant slidability of the overlying portions 13, 14, relatively, in the guide-ngers 16a, 16h and permitting relatively non-resisting adjustments of the overlapped parts.

In each of the herein disclosed forms of the invention, the means for slidably guiding the overlapped portions of the strips relatively, such as fingers 16, 19, 16a and 16h, all engage solely a minimum area at the edge portion of the inner overlapped portion 13; and likewise the means to resist relative slidability between overlapped portion, to-wit, element and 19, 40 to 43, and S0 to 51, do not penetrate or substantially interrupt or cover the major area of the outer face of the overlying portion of strip member 14, whereby said major area of the outer face of the overlying end portion of the strip member 14 is not interrupted thereby.

It will also be noted that by reason of the elliptical arcuate resilient flexibility of band members 11, 12, and the parallel relation of permanently open hook member 13, a Wristband may be mounted upon or removed from the Wrist merely by unhooking the open hook 31B (as shown in FIG. 13) without relatively releasing the overlapped end portions 13, 14. Thus, when once properly adjusted to the size of the wrist, that adjustment remains releasably fixed, without necessity for readjustment each time the Wristband is mounted upon or removed from the wrist.

Having thus described the invention I claim:

1. An adjustable Wristband for Watches and the like, comprising a pair of elliptically arcuate transversely planar strips which are stiffiy resilient, engaging means at a terminal rst free end of each of said respective strips for engaging a pivot pin at each opposite side of an object to be held between said free ends, one of said last mentioned engaging means being an integral parallelly retroverted permanently open hook member selectively engageable and disengageable from one of said pins of said object responsive to springing of the strip members relatively, and the opposite second end portion of each of said strips having an end portion overlapping a corresponding end portion of the other strip in superficial slidable contact, slide means at said overlapping portions for selectively holding said overlapped end portions of the strips relatively overlapping and slidable in such superficial contact when the said opposite free ends of the arcuate strips are free to resiliently expand relatively, said slide means including integral guide iinger clip means at opposite edges of the resilient strips, said guide fingers extending over and terminating adjacent to the adjacent edges of the other overlapping strip member and thereby providing grooves adjacent said edges in which the opposite edges of the other overlapping strip member may slide, said releasable locking means at the overlapped portions of the strips including a plurality of indents longitudinally spaced at an opposed face of one of said overlapped strip portions, and a projecting point protruding from the opposed face of the other overlapped portion adjacent said overlapped ends, said projecting point and said indentations being relatively resistantly slidable relatively free when the opposed free ends of the strips are relatively free and resiliently expanded, and said projected point and indents being adapted for frictionally and releasably interlocking against casual movement relatively by radial outward thrust of the overlapped resilient strip parts responsive to movements of the opposite free ends of the strips from a resiliently expanded position toward each other for engaging pivot pins of an object releasably resiliently held between said free ends of the strips.

2. A waistband device of the character described set forth in claim 1 and in which one of said engaging means at the free ends of said strips is a closed pivotal eyelet providing a permanent pivot connection for the one free end for one of said strip members, whereby said connected strip members may swing pivotally in connected relation relative to the object at the pivot pin thereof.

3. A Wristband device of the character described as set forth in claim 1, and in which said guide fingers of the respective overlying strips extend relatively oppositely over edges of the opposed overlying strips providing oppositely positioned sliding groove whereby, when the strips slide relatively, the guide fingers of said plates may relatively contact the fingers of the other strip before the overlying strips are separated from each other by sliding.

4. A Wristband device of the character described as set forth in claim 1, and in which said projecting points and said indentations on the supercially contacting faces of said strips are respectively at opposed faces of the overlying strip portions at the superficially contacting surfaces thereof and are in opposed relation to each other whereby they are invisible at the outer face of the outer of said overlying strip members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,900,696 8/1959 Bacon 24--206 1,794,458 3 1931 Herschede 244-4 X 2,471,694 5 1949 Maestri 224--4 2,521,290 9/ 1950 Gilcrease 224--4 FOREIGN PATENTS 273,141 6/ 1927 Great Britain.

74,772 9/ 1917 Switzerland. 112,394 1 l/ 1944 Sweden.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner. F. WERNER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ADJUSTABLE WRISTBAND FOR WATCHES AND THE LIKE, COMPRISING A PAIR OF ELLIPTICALLY ARCUATE TRANSVERSELY PLANAR STRIPS WHICH ARE STIFFY RESILIENT, ENGAGING MEANS AT A TERMINAL FIRST FREE END OF EACH OF SAID RESPECTIVE STRIPS FOR ENGAGING A PIVOT PIN AT EACH OPPOSITE SIDE OF AN OBJECT TO BE HELD BETWEEN SAID FREE ENDS, ONE OF SAID LAST MENTIONED ENGAGING MEANS BEING AN INTEGRAL PARALLELLY RETROVERTED PERMANENTLY OPEN HOOK MEMBER SELECTIVELY ENGAGEABLE AND DISENGAGEABLE FROM ONE OF SAID PINS OF SAID OBJECT RESPONSIVE TO SPRINGING OF THE STRIP MEMBERS RELATIVELY, AND THE OPPOSITE SECOND END PORTION OF EACH OF SAID STRIPS HAVING AN END PORTION OVERLAPPING A CORRESPONDING END PORTION OF THE OTHER STRIP IN SUIPERFICIAL SLIDABLE CONTACT, SLIDE MEANS AT SAID OVERLAPPING PORTIONS FOR SELECTIVELY HOLDING SAID OVERLAPPED END PORTIONS OF THE STRIPS RELATIVELY OVERLAPPING AND SLIDABLE IN SUCH SUPERFICIAL CONTACT WHEN THE SAID OPPOSITE FREE ENDS OF THE ARCUATE STRIPS ARE FREE TO RESILIENTLY EXPAND RELATIVELY, SAID SLIDE MEANS INCLUDING INTEGRAL GUIDE FINGER CLIP MEANS AT OPPOSITE EDGES OF THE RESILIENT STRIPS, SAID GUIDE FINGERS EXTENDING OVER AND TERMINATING ADJACENT TO THE ADJACENT EDGES OF THE OTHER OVERLAPPING STRIP MEMBER AND THEREBY PROVIDING GROOVES ADJACENT SAID EDGES IN WHICH THE OPPOSITE EDGES OF THE OTHER OVERLAPPING STRIP MEMBER MAY SLIDE, SAID RELEASABLE LOCKING MEANS AT THE OVERLAPPED PORTIONS OF THE STRIPS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF INDENTS LONGITUDINALLY SPACED AT AN OPPOSED FACE OF ONE OF SAID OVERLAPPED STRIP PORTIONS, AND A PROJECTING POINT PROTRUDING FROM THE OPPOSED FACE OF THE OTHER OVERLAPPED PORTION ADJACENT SAID OVERLAPPED ENDS, SAID PROJECTING POINT AND SAID INDENTATIONS BEING RELATIVELY RESISTANTLY SLIDABLE RELATIVELY FREE WHEN THE OPPOSED FREE ENDS OF THE STRIPS ARE RELATIVELY FREE AND RESILIENTLY EXPANDED, AND SAID PROJECTED POINT AND INDENTS BEING ADAPTED FOR FRICTIONALLY AND RELEASABLY INTERLOCKING AGAINST CASUAL MOVEMENT RELATIVELY BY RADIAL OUTWARD THRUST OF THE OVERLAPPED RESILIENT STRIP PARTS RESPONSIVE TO MOVEMENTS OF THE OPPOSITE FREE ENDS OF THE STRIPS FROM A RESILIENTLY EXPANDED POSITION TOWARD EACH OTHER FOR ENGAGING PIVOT PINS OF AN OBJECT RELEASABLY RESILIENTLY HELD BETWEEN SAID FREE ENDS OF THE STRIPS. 